The Answer to The Question
by N.J Maacha
Summary: Bella is all alone in the world but the internet is a totally different place where she is surrounded by people who depend on her to answer all the questions they have about any little thing. Her day's are spent pondering these questions and then suddenly everything is turned backwards when she get's a new secret admirer on her blogging account. Who is this crazy new fanatic? R
1. Chapter 1

_If I could live forever, I'm not quite sure what I would do with myself. I'm not sure if I could read the same stories over and over again, if I could watch the same movies. Would I age gracefully and understand the new generation, and then the next, and the next. Would I completely understand the world as it aged around me? To answer you're question, if I could live forever I would, but I'd want to spend forever with the person I _

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"Bella?" I jumped at my computer screen, my fingers hitting the keys in a random pattern. Letters that made absolutely no sense appearing at the end of my blog entry. I quickly erased it and posted to the site. Standing I ran my hand through my long brown hair and hurried down the steps of my fathers house. I still wasn't used to the creepy quite of it all.

My dad had long since passed away, the victim of a gunshot wound a year ago. No one could have predicted that, Forks was a quite town. It was small and usually peaceful. With his death I became an independent young women, and owner of my own home. I didn't want it, I missed him indefinitely but here I was on my own, writing blogs on a computer and answering questions anonymously.

"Mike why are you so loud at five in the morning?" I gave a slight smile. Mike Newton had moved in shortly after my father passing away. He did most of the handy work and took care of the house.

He merely laughed and pushed a plate of food my way. I took my time poking at the food and slowly eating it. "Are you going to leave the house today?"

"Why should I?" I hardly left the house. Maybe it was the sadness of missing my dad. I dropped out of high school and hid myself away in the memories of my father.

"It might be good for you."

"I'm fine." I growled and pushed the plate away, jumping up from the table abruptly. I could see the hurt on his face, the worry in his eyes, but I still walked away and left him there on his own.

If I had to live forever, I would rather do so with my father.

As of now, I had no reason to live.


	2. Chapter 2

I heard Mike slam the door to the kitchen and leave for school. He was still enrolled while also working at his parents store part time. I spent my days answering questions on my personal blog. A few of today's consisted of:

_"What do you say to the guy you like when he doesn't even know you exist?"_

"_How do you ask a guy you like to dance?"_

_"What is your idea of a perfect date?"_

_"I'm afraid to show my friends pictures of guys I like because they are not good looking."_

_"Why do socks come in pairs?"_

_"I'm addicted to blankets?"_

_"How do you get over a fear of fish?"_

The things people thought of left me wondering the same things, all day long. I liked the random ones compared to the ones about love or boys. People asked me personal questions, told me personal stories, and loved my random rants. I lived within my computer, and I loved it. I wasn't judged within its screen and my words made an impact on those who asked. Sometimes I even built these friendships up to the point where I would give them my phone number and we became almost kind of texting buddies. As if I was making friends with out getting attached to them.

Mike hated that I'd rather make distant friends compared to real ones, in all honesty I didn't want any friends at all. I wanted to stay alone in the world. I mean no one was really needed, we lived and we died, at inopportune moments. Charlie taught me that.

The world didn't need any of us, but the struggle to be invisible even though I knew this was real. I craved people sometimes. I wanted to hear their voices and feel their skin. I wanted to hear a dog bark or walk around outside. I would often visit the woods out back of my house and sit under the trees, not thinking but just sitting and listening to the outside world.

And then I saw the weirdest question pop up on my blog responses. No one had ever viewed a picture of me, ever. Even my texting 'friends'. I was completely anonymous. So it struck me as insanely weird, not threatening, but still weird.

_"How do you manage to look so beautiful at five in the morning. -E" _


	3. Chapter 3

I jumped at the site of the last question. It was flattering and yet creepy in a stalker like fashion and yet it still made my heart skip a beat. In fear or in flattery, I had yet to decide. silence befell the room. The clock ticked the seconds and then I build up the courage to type a response.

_'Beauty is only how other people see it. Weather you really see my beauty through a window or by some random chance:_

_that's for you to decide._

_I think my true beauty comes from the words I write. _

_The responses and hope I can give to others in a few short sentences._

_Mostly I see my beauty as weak and pointless but then,_

_then there are the days that my words are strong and make an impact. _

_My real beauty lies in its ability to be judged not only by a persons eyes but by their heart._

_And when I live forever It shall be in the words I have written and the people I have helped.' _

The words blinked back at me from the white of the computer screen. Black and white blending and folding into its own mystical beauty. This person whoever they may be; I hoped they would understand the message. They couldn't really have seen me at five in the morning, but had seen my words. At least that's what I hoped for anyways. I didn't need a serial killer stalker right now. I laughed it off and submitted my entry before getting up from the home. I had made on the couch and heading for the door. I wanted nothing more than some fresh air, so that's exactly what I would get. I exited my home, my little secluded hide a way and made a bee line for the forest that surrounded my home. The sounds of the birds crying out to each other and the scampering footsteps of wildlife, my own personal soundtrack to my day.

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(A/N) Thank you to se7en29 for the lovely review! Remember guys R&R :] It'd be much appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

It was so beautiful out here in the wild expanse of trees and dirt. I loved the solidity of it all. The alone feeling it gave me and yet the closeness I felt to everything in the world.

It's something you just can't explain on a blog entry. The way the world is innocent to some and then completely harsh to others. You can't learn everything from a computer screen. It was fall and the trees where bare, there leaves cluttered and scuttling across the ground in dashes of red, orange, yellow, and brown. I had just shut my eyes and took a deep breath when something heavy started crunching leaves behind me. I blocked it out for a moment more, but it felt like someone was watching me.

"Hello there." A voice spoke up and I jumped reeling around in my seat on a fallen log. I fell backwards and hit the ground with a thump, which was met by a musical tinkling laugh. "That was very graceful."

"I'm sorry but do I know you?" I pushed myself up from the ground taking in his appearance. He was impossibly beautiful with pale skin and messy bronze hair. Slender and yet muscular at the same time.

He cleared his throat and offered a hand, a teasing half smile playing on his lips. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

I couldn't pull my eyes away from his topaz stare, but I managed to push myself up without his help. "Who are you?"

"Oh me?" He drew his hand back and placed it on the trunk of a tree, staring intently at its bark. "I'm no one."

"Why are you here?" I was taking in the line of his jaw, such an angular face.

"I smelled something good." He gave another laugh, musical and beautiful. His eye's rose up to the sky. "You should probably go inside, it looks like rain."

"It always looks like rain in Forks." I corrected him, but still I took a step back, him stepping forward at the same time. "Who are you?"

"The better question is, who are you?" He was close enough now for me to feel his breath on my face. How did he get so close, so quickly? His hand brushed back some stray hairs and tucked them behind my ear, his skin radiated coldness.

"My name is Bella."

"Well It was lovely meeting you Bella, Now get inside before It rains." And with that he was stepping backwards. Waving at me as he disappeared into the trees. It took me a moment before I could move again, but when I had ran in the direction he was heading, he was already gone and rain drops where starting to kiss my skin.

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(A/N) Thanks for the review ashmarquez77! I think I'd be totally freaked out too, but Bella can handle anything! :]


	5. Chapter 5

"Bella?" Mike called through the house. I could hear him faintly somewhere in my mind but I couldn't pull myself away from the window. I sat there, staring out the window in my bedroom that over looked the tree's around the house. The rain pitter-pattered against the glass in a steady downfall blurring my vision as I looked for any sign of movement from the boy I had met hours ago.

"There you are." He sounded out of breath and worry coated every word. "I was worried about you."

I turned slowly, taking in his rugged and wet appearance, his hair plastered to his face, his chest rising and falling quickly. "I'm fine."

"Good." He strolled into my room and leaned his forehead against mine. "How was your day?"

"Just fine." I sighed looking up at his closed eyes. He pulled away slowly, careful not to put too much pressure on me.

"Nothing interesting happen?" He smiled letting his eyes look out the window, a shadow passing slightly over his face as he, I presumed, wondered what I had been looking at.

"Nothing at all." I considered telling him about my strange blog question, or the even stranger visit from the stranger in the woods. "I was actually wondering something."

Mike laughed way to loudly in the expansive of the small, quite room, clutching his stomach and then opening his eyes wide to take me in. "You're always wondering things."

I glared at him till the smile subsided and seriousness washed back over the conversation. "I was wondering if anyone lived close by."

He thought for a second. Considering every possibility. Then he turned and started walking towards the door. "I don't think anyone lives close by. No one new anyways."

"Are you sure?" I asked looking back out at the rain.

"Pretty sure." He paused at the door and looked back in, I was already staring out the window but I could feel his eyes on my back. "Good night Bella."

I heard the click of the door as it shut behind him. Had it really gotten that late already where it was already time for bed? I continued to stare out the window lost in my own thoughts when my computer dinged. I jumped at the sudden noise and quickly clicked open the question that had been submitted to my blog.

_'The rain is beautiful. What do you think? -E'_

I took in a sharp breath of air, wrote my reply and then laid down on my bed, wrapping up in the warmth of my covers.

_'Everyone wants happiness, Nobody wants pain. You can't have a rainbow without a little rain. Goodnight E.'_

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**(A/N) A special thanks to PieSaysHi, TheVioletContradiction, and se7en29 for the wonderful reviews of chapter four! Like always R&R everyone! It's much appreciated! Can't wait to see what you think about Chapter five!**


	6. Chapter 6

I awoke and showered the next day, like every other day. And like every other day, Mike called me down for breakfast at 5 am.

"Good morning Bella." A smile lit up his face and I returned it, my hair still dripping with water. "How did you sleep?"

"Great, I love when it rains." I cut into the waffles that he presented to me. My stomach growled in anticipation.

"Did you forget to eat or something yesterday?" He laughed and I let myself smile again. Mike had become a solid and reliable friend in my life. I wasn't sure how I would have ever survived without him. A few seconds of silence passed before he spoke again. "Jessica and I were planning a date night. I was wondering if you would be okay alone tonight?"

I glanced up at him. It was rare he went on dates. I didn't mind. We weren't a couple. I considered him more of a brother then anything.

"I'll be fine." I finally managed before going back to my food. We finished the meal in silence and I began the clean up as he left for school. Another day alone with my thoughts, and an even longer night awaited me. The image of the guy form yesterday flooded my mind. The mystery of it all had my head in a daze. I considered going back out into the woods, but if I went looking for him, what would I find? That he was a figment of my imagination? That he was a crazy dangerous stalker.

Instead I settled on returning to my computer and answering the usual questions. Then I found it. A silent reply to last nights blog entry.

_'Not all scars show, not all wounds heal. Sometimes you can't see the pain that someone feels. _

_Are you hiding your pain?- E'_

I stared at throe words for a long time. I couldn't calculate an answer. We where talking in riddles now? Cute quotes you could find on the internet? Who the hell was this "E"? Questions flooded my mind. I fought tears back considering each reply and then finally settled on one.

_'When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure.'_

I stood after submitting it, and then dragged my feet to the phone.

"Hello?" His voice was rough over the phone and yet warmth seemed to flood over me.

"I need you to come over."

"What's wrong?" There was worry in his voice. "Did Mike do something?"

"He's going out tonight."

"Oh," A pause as he considered this. "I'll be over as soon as I can."

"I'll be outside in the woods."

"I'll find you, Don't worry about it Bella."

"Thanks Jacob."

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**(A/N) Thanks to all my readers for reading my story! A big thank you to TheVioletContradiction, and PieSaysHi for the reviews on chapter five. I hope I may have cleared things up about Mike :] Please let me know if this is going good so far, or if somethings confusing! At any rate, Please review! Thank you all -Maacha**


	7. Chapter 7

I sat in the grass, well it was more of me laying back, each blade kissing my skin ever so softly as held me suspended above the dirt. My arms stretched out on either side of me and my legs tucked closely together. Today I had decided to wear a light green tank top, that made my skin look almost ivory instead of its usual shade of paleness, along with a pair of dark blue denim shorts. You know, those kind of shorts with the purposefully made holes and a faded look that seemed like you wore them too many times. My brownish red hair had fanned out around me in a halo as I stared up through the tree tops, gazing at the clouds above. It was a calm afternoon in forks. Hinting towards rain and yet holding out. A faint smell of flowers would roll over me when the wind picked up and blew the grass, causing it to glide over my skin in a wave of motion.

When I was little and my dad was still around I could remember coming out to the middle of the clearing and sitting in the flowers, waiting for it to rain and laughing when it did. On days when It didn't I almost felt disappointed. I hated the rain, but I could always count on it to be there. Splashing my skin and causing my wild hair to stick to my face.

And when it snowed I would just stand and stare up into the sky in awe. I used to like the cold way it lingered on my skin and seeped into my bones. It imprinted on me in a way I could never understand fully. Each snow flake leaving its individual pattern to be forever remembered by my skin as it melted away.

"You don't usually come outside often."

"Not anymore." I replied. I had expected him to come to me, as I had often expected rain to come to forks.

"Why not?" I didn't take my eyes off the sky as we spoke to each other. It was as if I was afraid to look up, as if looking up would bring me face to face with nothing but trees.

"I don't feel like it anymore."

"Why not."

"Because I hate it."

"You used to like it though."

"I _used_ to like it." I emphasized the past tense.

"Why not now?"

"Because, there are too many good memories?"

"Aren't good memories, good?" His twinkling laugh echoed in my ears.

"They are painful." I closed my eyes sending myself into darkness, focusing only on his voice. I pictured him standing there, against a tree. His god-like body framed in perfection by the surrounding forest.

"Only if you let them be."

"I can't help it."

"Bella?" Another voice. A more familiar voice. I jumped at the sound of it my eyes flashing open. My palms hit the ground in a disoriented way, flinging my upper body up. I felt dizzy and at the same time frantic. My eyes scanned the woods, and the I saw the movement to my right, my eyes focusing on that area. A muscular boy with tan skin emerged from the woods. "Who where you talking to?"

"Jacob!" A smile lit up across my face and then confusion. I searched the trees, my eyes desperately trying to find the boy I had been talking to and then I turned back to Jacob calmly, shaking my head in slight disbelief. I stood up and walked to stand before him. "No one. No one at all."


	8. Chapter 8

"Bella, you know I don't like when you're out here alone."

"Oh come on Jacob, what's the worst that can happen?" I rolled my eyes as we walked along the trees.

"Someone could be out here, someone dangerous." I thought about the boy I saw, the one I had spoke to earlier. Could he be dangerous? I let a smile seep through, I felt it pulling at the corners of my mouth. There was no way he was dangerous.

"I think I can handle my own." I kicked a rock, sending it bouncing down the dirt path.

"I just can't imagine you being out here all on your own."

"Just think of me as snow white. I can take care of myself."

"Even snow white had a prince charming."

I laughed, the sound echoing in the quietness of the space.

He shoved my arm, sending me toppling to the side, I almost lost my balance but managed to save myself from a fall. A roar of a laugh caught me off guard and then we where both laughing.

"Don't you remember when we where kids and we used to play out here."

"We used to have a tree house." He remarked on the memory. "We would hide in it all day, and your dad would get so mad."

"I remember hiding in there once. It was raining really bad. Charlie and I, we had a fight and I just ran out. The rain was pouring down, I could hardly see and when I climbed to the top of the tree I laid on the wood and just felt the tree sway in the wind, the floor rocked me to sleep. Lightening lit up the sky but I just closed my eyes and thought of mom and how she would have laughed at me. I was shivering and cold and wet and scared but I stayed there the whole storm. Even when Charlie called me. I thought it was just a dream and went back to sleep. I stayed out there all night and in the morning when it was just a little drizzle I walked back home. I thought Charlie was going to be so mad, but he just grabbed me up and held me and wouldn't let go. We cried and said I'm sorry for what seemed like forever." I shut my eyes and tried to block the tears, I could feel Jacobs rough hand taking mine, his fingers twirling around mine; intertwining like tree branches. The warmth of it made me smile and I looked up at him as he led me down the path.

"He loved you a lot."

"I know."

He stopped abruptly. "Wait right here."

I waited for what seemed like an hour. Just standing there, waiting. Then he came back, a big goofy smile on his face. "Come on. Come on!"

He tugged on my arm like a little kid and I laughed. Finally we reached a spot that I knew all too well. The wooden steps nailed up the tree led to a big green tree house, we painted it green to hide it. He climbed so easily to the top, and then I followed. The inside was stuffed with pillows and blankets from my house.

"I figured we could have a sleep over." He gave me his childish smile and I smiled back.

"I'd like that."

I'd spent the majority of the night laughing at Jacobs jokes and talking about when we where kids. We didn't get to do this often without me becoming overly emotional. Deep inside my head I imagined the boy I had been talking to, standing outside my window, watching me as I laughed. I wondered if he thought I was as pretty, but that I soon put out of my head. I was only average. I almost wished the stranger could be sitting with me and Jacob and sharing our laughter. He was probably long gone. Sitting at home in his bed sleeping, he probably never even though of me.

I had manged to some how fall asleep on the hard wood floor of my old tree house. the wood was worn but still smooth and the blankets pilled around us made me feel safe. The smells of the forest seemed to over take me and I drifted into dreams only to be awoken a few hours, or that's what I surmised, later.

"Bella?" It sounded like a whisper. A foggy echo of my name calling me out of my sleep. I laid there not daring to move, afraid that it was just my brain playing tricks on me and that if I moved I would never fall back into slumber. Then there it was a little louder. "Bella."

I sat up my eyes scanning the darkness of the tree house. Jacob lay sleeping on the other side of the tree house wrapped in his own cocoon of blankets. I scrambled towards the square window and there he was standing below me, waving me into the woods.

I couldn't help but hurry out of my self made bed, as warm and cozy as it had been, and venture down into the darkness of the wood into a situation I was unsure about.

"There you are." He smiled that half smile and I glared at him.

"Why are you out here so late?"

"Why are you out here so late?"

"I-I-" I stuttered taken aback by his question. "That's none of your business."

"So is that your boyfriend?" He danced between the trees.

A blush swept over my face and anger twisted my features as a single word rushed out from between my lips, "No!"

"Good." He laughed and walked into the darkness of the woods and I hurried after him. "That would ruin all my fun."

"Who are you?" I asked racing after him and trying to keep pace, he moved unusually fast.

"The better question is who is he?" He stopped in a clearing, the moon was high, a half crescent bobbing in between clouds.

"He is an old friend." The boy sat down in the grass and motioned with his index finger for me to come closer. As I did he grabbed my hand and pulled me down onto his lap.

His fingers twirled in the grass weaving something in the darkness. "Is that all?"

"That's all." Another wave of blush swept over my face as we sat in the silent darkness.

Suddenly he pushed us both up to our feet and held me close with one arm as the other sat something on my head. "You make a lovely princess."

"Bella!" I stood dumbfounded. The coolness of his skin leaving mine as I turned to look around the forest for whoever had called my name. When I turned back to face him, he was gone. "Bella there you are! I've been looking for you for hours."

"What do you mean?" I searched Jacob's face. "I've only been gone a little while."

"You've been gone since the middle of last night. It's dawn."

Sure enough as I looked up the darkness was beginning to fade into a light grey morning sky. Time somehow had gotten away from me, between sitting on his lap to him holding me in his arms, his face inches from my own. I shook the memory from my head. "But-"

"It's okay lets just start walking back home. I'll get the stuff from the tree house later."

"Okay." I took step beside him and started heading for home.

"Hey. Whats that?"

"What's what?" He tapped the side of my head as we walked. I put my hands into my hair and withdrew a crown made of flowers. "Its a crown."

"It's beautiful. I didn't know you knew how to make them."

"I don't."

"Well then who did?"

I shrugged my shoulders, unsure how to answer the question. I slipped it back onto my head and smiled. "I told you I was Snow White."


	9. Chapter 9

Sometimes I feel as if I'm losing my mind. As if everything I want to do is stuck in that space of everything I can't do. Particularly, moving forward. I don't like the idea of it. I don't want to face the fact that everything I do from now on till the day I die will never include Charlie.

I can't even bring myself to move out of his house, or even leave it for any extended period of time.

I guess that's why Mike was so worried when I walked in, hair a tangled mess with flowers woven in between the strands, at dawn just as he was getting ready for work.

"Bella." He smiled looking up at me, worry etched in every line on his face, his stare cold and surprized. "Where have you been?"

"Just," I thought for a moment eyes dropping to the floor. "Out."

He laughed and I turned sharply to enter the living room, anywhere to escape his stare. I was sure I had a lot of unread messages to attend to, a lot of questions to answer. I lot of things to forget. I wanted to forget everything in my head. I wanted to forget my father, the man who raised me to be strong and care for everything. I wanted to forget about Jacob, my childhood best friend who lived so close and yet so far away, who was always there to protect me. I wanted to forget Mike, the guy who took over my whole life after I had almost taken it away after my father had left me. I wanted to forget the boy I kept meeting in the woods, so mysterious and beautiful and breathtaking. More importantly I wanted to forget myself, a helpless little girl who ran away from everything and yet remained un-moving and unchanging in a world that was constantly moving and changing around her.

"Is she okay?" I heard Mike ask as the door creaked open. I could imagine Jacob walking in, his arms stuffed with pillows. I merely closed my eyes and sprawled out across the couch, my arm over my face as to block the light from my eyes.

"I'm sure she is." Jacob huffed and I heard his footsteps enter the living room and then retreat up the steps. I rolled over and grabbed my laptop form the coffee table. I flipped it open and the screen blinked to life. I looked over the usual questions but none from E, the person I had secretly been hoping had responded. I slammed it shut as I heard footsteps coming down the steps and laid back across the couch.

"Your sure?"

"I think so, I mean she was fine yesterday."

"You_ think_ so?" Mike was getting an attitude. "I spend _everyday_ worrying about her and your just_ guessing_ that she's fine?"

"Your not the only one worried about her?" Jacob growled.

"Can you both just stop talking about me!" I yelled from the living room. I threw myself up and stormed up the steps. Flopping down on my bed and placing my elbows on my knees. I covered my face with my hands, pushing them back and pushing all the hair away from my face with a low sigh. I hated that they both worried so much, I hated that they argued, and I hated that I couldn't do anything to fix that. Although I couldn't blame them from being worried.

When Charlie had first gone away I had spent four days wondering the woods. Jacob found me laying in the grass crying. It took me another five weeks to get out of my bedroom. I was a mess. I was still a mess and I could still hear them arguing down the steps.

"They sure like to yell a lot." That tinkling laugh echoed from my window and my head snapped up to see him leaning against the windowsill, his golden eyes half mocking me, dancing with his laugh. I felt my mouth lift into a smile, I had been hoping to see him, craving him.

"How did you get in here?"

"Through the window." His half-smile pulled a little higher. "They're wrong you know."

"Huh?"

"Your not helpless." He pushed himself forward and sat next to me on the bed. "Your actually quite strong."

"I'm not sure about all that."

"I know it."

"How do you know?" We were staring in each others eyes. I could feel his breath on my skin, his mouth so close to mine.

"I can just tell." He leaned back away from me. "Trust me."

"I don't even know who you are."

"You want to know who I am?"

"Of course!" I jumped forward at him and he laughed.

"Calm down killer." He stood up from the bed and made a wide circle around my room, taking everything in. "My name is Edward."

"Edward." I tasted his name with my tongue. "Edward."

"Yes." He laughed his tinkling laugh and I smiled again, a faint blush covering my cheeks, he was back at the window gazing out once more. "But you can call me prince charming."

It was my turn to laugh. "Prince charming, huh?"

"I do like the sound of that." He smiled back at me.

"Bella!" Jacobs feet pounded up the steps. My gaze snapped from Edward to the door which smashed open, my eyes widened. "Lets get out of here!"

"Get out of here?" I looked back at the window, only to see nothing. Edward had vanished as quickly as he had come.

"What are you looking at?"

"N-nothing." I stuttered turning my eyes back to Jacob. "What do you mean get out of here?"

"I don't know why you stay with that…that douche."

"He's my friend."

"I don't know why." Jacob plopped down on the bed. "I wish you would have just left with me when you had the chance."

I laughed. "I'm happy here."

"Your not happy." I thought for a moment about the boy who had just been here, how he made me laugh, and smile, and feel.

"I'm as happy as I've ever been, right now, then I have been in a long time."

"Really?" His eyes lit up and he leaned in close, pressing his forehead against mine.

"Yeah."

He slipped his hand around mine, it was so warm and rough. "I'm glad."


	10. Chapter 10

My day went by slow, my night even slower. I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch, a steak (Cooked medium-rare, curtsey of Jacob) for dinner with baked potatoes and Macaroni. Mike proudly claimed it was a man's meal before digging into his own plate. Then I spent the next few hours replying to the usual dolled up questions of my ever present and adoring followers. I enjoyed answering their questions, as usual. It was an escape from my predictably dull and uneventful life.

My only real source of surprise was Edward. A boy who frequently visited my thoughts. Then the message on my computer arrived.

'I've been thinking about you. I wonder if you think of me too. -E'

My heart skipped a beat. E. My admirer and blog follower. I hadn't heard from him yet, so this statement had caught me off guard. For a second my mind entertained the fact that this E, this mysterious computer person could possibly be Edward. Then I brushed it off. There was no reason for this to be Edward. Edward could visit me any time he wanted. He knew where I lived and where I spent most of my time. He seemed to know more about me then even myself. Plus this E could be anywhere in the world. E could be male, or female. E could be an old person or even a young kid. That's why I loved the internet. It was so impersonal.

I held my fingers over the keys, unable to think of an answer. I could hear Mike and Jacob having a low conversation in the kitchen, the hum of my computer, and the usual outside noises of the night. Other than that it was silent. How did you tell someone you weren't thinking about them, not in the least, without sounding rude. And how did you do that over the emotionless keys of a keyboard.

'I'm sorry, You slipped my mind.'

I replied to the question and was met with an instant reply.

'I love our open relationship,

Your words answering to my every whim

holding me in suspense till I get to hear from you again.

I love that you can make me feel so safe,

that you make all my worries disappear

With your keyboard, not pen.

I love that I think about you all the time,

your words echoing in my mind

I love that you are so honest so real,

Your words make me feel surreal.

Don't ever change. -E.'

The words took me by surprise. A semi poem that made no sense. I couldn't help but laugh. Then another message before I even replied

'I hope I made you laugh, -E"

I smiled to myself and sent another message, a simple two words.

'Thank you.'

"Hey are you okay?" Jacob poked his head into the living room and I turned my gaze towards him, slowly shutting my laptop.

"Yeah…"

He took a few more steps in, "It's just. I heard you laughing."

"Is it that strange?" I laughed again standing up and stretching my arms up to the ceiling.

"A little bit." He smirked. "You know what we should do?"

"What?" A sly smile was coming across his face.

"Pillow fort."

"No." I felt a smile play at my lips.

"Yes." His was growing bigger as he walked closer to me.

"No!" I laughed.

"Oh come on!" He whipped on of the pillows off the couch and tossed it onto the floor. I crossed my arms as he ripped the next on off and then the next. He turned his head to look at me, puppy dog eyes staring me down. "Please."

"Oh fine!" I tossed my hands into the air, and he left to go get sheets as I assembled the pillows. Eventually we had built our castle.

"Are you guys serious?" Mike was tip toeing across the floor careful not to bump anything.

"Join us mike!" I called from inside the tangle of couch pillows, regular pillows, sheets, and chairs.

"No thanks." He laughed and I heard him leave the room. Jacob was already starting to fall asleep beside me, I could hear his breathing getting heavy. He had a long night, and then another long day at the reservoir so I could understand why he was so tired. I on the other hand sat wide awake. I rolled around in my little space before finally army crawling out of my fort only to have my face meet the toe of someone's shoe.

"Well hello there." That tinkling laugh. I knew who it was before I even looked up. A blush swept across my face.

"How did you get in here?"

He held his hand out to help me up and I took it, "The better question is, how did you build that?"

"Oh, that, it was easy." I smiled and looked him over. "But how-"

"Does it matter?"

"Kind of.."

"Well then I guess I should just get going then?" He turned to leave. I wanted to stop him but then what would that say of me. I turned towards my fort and then around again, he was still standing there.

"I thought you where leaving."

"I'm still trying to figure out how you did it."

"I had help."

"Well maybe next time," He stepped in close to me and brushed back a strand of hair behind my ear. "I can help you."

"That would be great." I smiled, a new blush settling in.

"Good." A rush of air-filled the space between us as he stepped away.

"I never did get to thank you for the flowers the other day."

"Your welcome." He smiled that half-smile of his. "You should go to bed."

"But I'm not-" I yawned, a sleepiness suddenly coming over me. "Tired."

"I think you are."

"Maybe just a little."

"Go to bed."

"Fine." I walked towards the steps and began to make my way to my bedroom, feeling his eyes on me every step. "You know you on't have to follow me."

"How else would I know you went to sleep?"

"I'm really not tired." I shut the door behind us and then flopped down on the bed, his eyes stayed on me.

"Really?"

"Really."

"Would you like me to sing you a lullaby then?"

"A lullaby?" He sat on the bed beside me and pulled me, so my head was in his lap, his grip was firm and strong. I laid there as he began to hum, and then sing, his voice velvety and beautiful. He tucked the covers in around me and brushed my hair with his finger tips. I wanted to remember everything about him, everything about this moment. I tried to hold it all in, but the more I tried the more I let it slip away, and soon darkness over took me as sleep set in.


	11. Chapter 11

I awoke to a cold rush of wind. My covers were pulled tightly around me, but my hair blew about my face in a weird rush. I jumped, bouncing from my warm bundle to see what the disturbance was. My window was wide open, sending the cold Forks air into my bedroom. I shivered and took the few steps over to close it and then dived back into bed. I just wanted to curl up and sleep. Drift back into dreams of nothing.

I struggled briefly to fall back into slumber but when ever I closed my eyes, I could only see his face. That beautiful half-smile and tinkling laugh. I tossed and turned in my bed and when it failed I finally pulled myself out of bed and entered the bathroom. I undressed and turned the hot water all the way up, steaming the mirror and washing away my sleep.

"You're up late Bella." Jacob called from the hallway. I ignored him and focused only n the water running over my body. I needed to get my act together, or more like get it back to normal. Back to my normal dragging my feet around the house and focusing only on the lives other people through a computer screen, instead of letting my mind run off with thoughts of a boy I hardly knew. I finally got out when the water turned cold and dried off, changing into a pair of jeans and a green sweater.

"Tell me how he died." The command rung in my ears as I opened the door to my bed room. He sat there, window open again, on my bed his head down, eyes looking up at me through full lashes. The picture of my father and me clutched in his hands. I sat on the bed beside him and looked over his shoulder at the photo in the frame. I was six, maybe seven. His sweet eyes lined prematurely by wrinkles, his smile wide and inviting. I felt so safe with Charlie, the same feeling of safety I felt with Edward.

"I haven't talked with anybody about it."

"I'm here for you." He looked over at me, face stony and yet warm. "You can talk to me."

"It happened recently." I took a deep breath and exhaled loudly. "We were fishing. He loved to fish."

My eyes where draw back to that picture. The tackle box and the fishing rod where on the ground in front of us, water stretched as far as the eye could see behind us. "It started raining and before we knew it everything was wet. I didn't even want to be there. I had complained the whole time, a sixteen year old girl doesn't want to be fishing, but he just laughed and we ran to the car. The road 's where so wet and the rain was pouring down from the sky. It was dark and then suddenly it was really bright and dad stopped singing whatever he had been singing and he hit the brakes really hard. My head flew forward and hit the dashboard, and then everything went black. I don't remember anything after that. People where talking, but I didn't want to open my eyes, and then it was too bright to open my eyes and we where moving again. I feel asleep and didn't wake up for three days, Charlie never woke up. They said that the guy driving the other car fell asleep at the wheel, and when dad tried to stop we slid in the water and hit a bunch a trees sliding down one of the hills."

I looked up at Edward, I had never talked to anyone about this. Jacob had met me in the hospital and had just held me for hours as I cried, but we never talked about it. We never really talked about Charlie in the whole four years since he died. "I didn't get to say good-bye, I just complained the whole time."

I sat there, eyes closed for a couple of seconds, till I felt Edward wrap his arms around me. We both fell back on my bed and I opened my eyes, his golden ones looking back at me. "It's okay you know."

"I know." I closed my eyes again. "Sometimes."

We sat in silence for a little while, but it was cut short by the sound of my stomach rumbling. He laughed and sat up. "Hungry?"

"Yeah." I blushed jumping up from the bed. "I'll be right back."

I rushed out of the room and down the steps. My fort had been disassembled and Jacob was nowhere to be found. I quickly made myself a bowl of cereal and rushed up the steps, but Edward too had vanished. I sighed sitting on my floor. I didn't even want to eat anymore I just wanted to curl up in a ball and disappear. I ate anyways and then climbed back into bed, wrapping myself in my blankets and staring at the closed window, wondering when I would see Edward again and what we would talk about the next time he visited me.


End file.
